Death and the Spring
by Jazzabell
Summary: A simple retelling of the romance between the God of the Underworld and Persephone.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Death and the Spring**

**Summary: Another simple retelling of the Myth addressing Hades and Persephone's romance.  
**

**Rating: T  
**

* * *

Olympus was in an uproar today. The smooth, gleaming marble floors were shadowed with the pattering sound of harried footsteps, the faint rustling of silken garments bellowing behind its owner, her tussled hair reigning like frayed, wild straw around her delicate face.

Demeter's eyes were filled with untamed tears, stains of her sorrow already tainting her fair skin. The silhouette of her nurturing side had already been overshadowed by rage, grief and intense worry, her sobs as she half ran half stumbled before Zeus's presence a severe indication of the state of her deliriousness.

"_How could he_!" she breathlessly demanded as she weakly collapsed before her brother's throne. "How dare he steal her away from _me? _How? How? How!" She had by now buried her face deep into the palms of her hands having finally given in to the final stages of her decent into madness.

The other Gods and Goddesses rose in alarm from their positions beside Zeus, their astonishment at seeing the Goddess of the Harvest in such a state of lethal frenzy wounding their hearts in pity. A burst of voices both angry and confused erupted from the pantheon of Gods and Zeus finally standing to his feet raised his hand in a gesture for silence.

The assembled Olympians heeded his call.

"Who or what, may I ask, has rendered you in such… distress Demeter?" he calmly asked as his powerful voice echoed within the sturdy hallway.

The room settled from its disarray, breaths held as they waited for the Goddess to proclaim the instigator of her severe displeasure.

She feebly raised her face then, her moisture laden eyes appealing to her brother and once former lover. With trembling digits she gripped her garments and tightened her hold as she barely managed to whisper, "Hades, my dear brother…Hades has kidnapped our daughter… Hades has kidnapped Persephone…"

And the room erupted into confusion again.

**xxxXXXxxx**

He watched her as she sat, her legs folded beneath her, her head bowed almost as though in prayer, her solitude and despondence dressing her completely. If she had not been the goddess of spring and if she were not destined to be the queen of the underworld then her melancholy would not have suited her so well. But even in sorrow Hades saw beauty…an elegant and graceful beauty that was still breathtaking… still enthralling… still sensuous… Even the tears that glistened on her cheeks breathed grace… breathed magnificence.

He watched the silken ripple of her autumn coloured hair as it draped her frame in delicate waves, the pale complexion of her soft skin as it glowed in the stygian darkness that was the underworld. He watched with baited breath as she silently watched her hands, her unheard tears dressing her skin like shimmering pearls.

Hades allowed a single breath to escape his lips, a breath filled with desire… with longing.

He moved then, unable to merely gaze alone.

Alas, his form that had been whole finally dispersed into black mist and smoke, the wispy tendrils spreading out from his centre, fanning in sweeping waves as he travelled in a cloud of haze towards her lowered form. And as he surrounded her in his state of frigid mist and smoke, he addressed her, his face no longer visible, his form no more than the air that filled the underworld itself…

"Why doth the lady weep…?"He quietly whispered into the darkness, his voice as husky and thick as the tendrils of smoke he used to disguise his true form.

Her head slowly rose in uncertainty as she scanned her periphery for the disembodied voice for she could see nothing… perceive nothing.

"I…I have been taken from my abode…. I see strange things and feel indescribable emotions… I am unsure…."

Hades narrowed his brows.

"You weep then because you fear the unknown?"

She nervously looked around again and wiping her face clean of its melancholic evidence slowly murmured. "Perhaps… I have never witnessed such solitude as this…such mourning…."

Hades was intrigued by her answer and moving closer he whispered into her ear, "You sense it then, the death, the happiness, the confusion…"

She wordlessly nodded before tentatively stretching out her hand to feel the mist. Hades could easily discern the slight tremble that caressed her limbs, the faint tremor that shook her lips. She was afraid but yet she spoke with an air of faint confidence. This drew him in even more.

"I cry, forgive me, not solely for my plight but for the plights of those whom I sense deep within the recesses of this place. I told you that I could feel strange things… and it is death I think that I feel and alas, it is in my nature, I suppose, to feel sorrow for those that once thrived in full spring…"

"Indeed…" Hades mused allowed, "Indeed you are your mother's daughter."

"My mother…" Persephone glanced down again. "You know of her?"

"I would be an ignorant fool to have no knowledge of Demeter; to not know of her insecurities."

"Then why have you taken me away from her?"

"Because you intrigue me…."

Persephone blinked, her eyes still intently focused downwards. "You kidnap for mere intrigue… that is-"

"It is…?" Hades prompted.

"Cruel…"

"Not entirely. If my intrigue belies a pleasant intention then it cannot be so cruel. You have captivated me Persephone. A God that thrives alone has been mesmerised by your beauty… your innocence. Even I detest myself for whisking away something so pure."

"Then-then I am not mistaken when I assume that I am in the realm of the underworld…." she softly whispered.

Hades laughed; a low, soft laugh of delight.

"You are a perceptive creature."

"This darkness, this mournfulness, as you rightly say, I sense it…I feel it in my bones."

"And you are right to sense it, it is a sullen thing. But do you not feel the mild happiness that lingers in its midst."

"What happiness can there be in such despondence?"

"That from those who dwell in the Elysian fields."

"It is faint…"

"Then this place cannot be so terrible if some find happiness, can it…?"

The young goddess paused at his lowly spoken observation, reflecting, contemplating. Finally she spoke again.

"Who is it that addresses me?"

Hades smiled.

"Who do you wish it to be?"

She absently attempted to touch the straying mist that lingered at her feet and jumped in surprise when the soft sound of a pleasured sigh surrounded her.

"I-I.…the one who has brought me here. The one who has stolen me from the arms of my mother- the protection of the nymphs."

"Then it is so."

"Sh-show yourself…" she weakly commanded.

"You are prepared to see the God who has taken you for his own, who wants you for his Queen…for his wife…?"

She trembled at those words but bravely raised her head in certainty. "It is only fair that I see the one who claims to want me for his own; it is only fair that I see you… Lord Hades."

"I see."

Persephone gasped in wonder at the rush of wind that flew past her, the swirl of power and mist and blackened smoke that circled and fell into place in a swirling tornado of death. It roared like a raging storm, its shadows falling in line, giving birth to a soon still, solid cloaked form that gracefully emerged from the haze of mist.

If a broken thing could look beautiful then surely this was it, incarnate. Persephone had heard stories of the blackened God of the underworld, the eldest of the Titan's son, the master of all that entered the afterlife. She had heard stories of his firm, ruling hand, stories of his decisions as a just and wise king but whether they were indeed veracious or whether they were lies were something she could not yet decipher.

She watched in bated breath then as he slowly approached her, his steps graceful for such a willowy God, his movements… almost as if he were gliding. She watched in anticipation as he raised his long digits to remove the cloak that concealed his face, the cloak that masked his features in darkness. She had only ever heard rumours of the God, she had never actually seen him in person.

And as she watched, the image practically burned a vivid memory for future reference into her head.

His pallid complexion was… sickly almost, his lack of contact with sun an ever enduring testament. His lengthy black hair cascaded in elegant waves of deepest ebony behind his back, some ripples dressing his shoulders and chest as he carefully moved towards her. His face was handsome, despite being almost cadaverous, his graceful stature towering above her miniature, fragile frame.

She had never witnessed such a strange twist of beauty before, something that strangely pulled her, something that indescribably toyed with her reasoning…

She trembled when he stopped before her huddled frame, for there was a wild look in his eyes.

She closed her eyes in fear then expecting some kind of punishment as he began to extend his arm towards her. Alas, she felt no pain and apprehensively opened her eyes to see what had been its delay. The god of the underworld had merely reached out to her and unsure of why she was accepting she too slowly reached out and rested her hand into his own. She had expected to feel a chill from his skin but there was nothing save a pulsing heat that ran through him as he firmly gripped her fingers and gently drew her up against him.

"Do you still fear…?" he softly asked as he lightly began to run his index down the length of her cheek. Her breath hitched as he touched her skin, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest.

"I-I… don't know…" she faintly whispered.

"Do you still fear _me_ then…Persephone?"

This time his thumb was delicately tracing the outline of her quivering lips as he held her chin in place.

She closed her eyes from the surprisingly heated sensation of his touch, the guilty pleasure coursing through her veins wholly frightening. She was certain she was not supposed to feel pleasure at all from his caress.

"Answer me." he quietly commanded when she remained speechless.

"I-I, no…."

Even she was surprised by her answer.

Hades' lips parted into a small smile and leaning forward he gently cupped her jaw.

"There is no reason for fear," he thickly whispered as he held her closer. "There never was. Man is merely afraid of his own destiny. He is afraid of his judgement, afraid to see what he truly is. That is the only fear they all truly harbour."

"Lord Hades…"she unconsciously whispered, her hands climbing to rest against his chest in unspoken submission. "I-"

He stilled her lips with a soft, unexpected kiss then and raggedly drew breath when he found she did not deny him.

"My Persephone…" he breathlessly murmured and embraced her fragile softness in his arms.

She could not stop him and didn't really want to in any case so she allowed him to drink deeper from the nectar she willingly offered.

* * *

**AN: Forgive me for any errors grammatical and otherwise. **


	2. Chapter 2

"Un-Unpardonable! An abomination! Zeus!"

"What will you have me do Demeter? He has fallen in love with your daughter, what harm can there be from their union?"

Demeter's eyes flashed a mix of confusion and anger, the tears still running down her cheeks in unstoppable torrents. She clenched her fists then and pounded the marble table where she sat, alone, before Zeus.

"How can you say such a thing!" She desperately cried. "How can you say such a thing about your own daughter! Almost three months have passed and you have done nothing! Nothing about her predicament at all! Imagine the abomination Hades has already stained her youthful demeanour with! Imagine the darkness that has already taken hold of her. Her innocence, her loveliness…I- Zeus imagine what he's done with her!-"

"Silence!" Zeus narrowed his eyes and watched as she tremblingly shrunk from his command.

"If Hades were half the unscrupulous God that you accuse him of being then the Underworld would have already collapsed into nothingness. Hades is a powerful God and with all due respect he is also my elder brother. I see no reason to deny him such an offer as Persephone."

"But-but… oh heavens…" Demeter weakly collapsed into her golden lined chair and pressed her fingers against her forehead as she exhaled a frustrated and weary sigh. How could Zeus dare to even think any of this?

"Furthermore," he quietly added "Hades has never asked for anything before. Is it so terrible to allow him this much?"

Demeter shook her head in distress, her fingers still pressed against her forehead.

"Zeus you are blind…" she faintly mumbled.

The God raised his brows eyes at her declaration but remained silent as he waited for to continue her explanation.

"My grief is destroying the realm of man and it will destroy the earth if my daughter does not return to me. She harbours spring in her wake and with my emotions as listless and haggard as they presently are I can do nothing but grieve. Winter taints the mountains and meadows, ice and sleet blanket the lakes and rivers. I mourn for my daughter. I mourn for her spring, her laughter…." Her voice had fallen considerably, her final words spoken in a thick, sorrowful, heart wrenching whisper. "I cannot bear to be parted from Persephone, Zeus. She has been with me through all my solitude, through all my pain. She has been the only thing that has comforted me throughout my years of nurturing the earth. She is the one and only thing that means the world to me and knowing that she's suffering in that stygian filth is tearing my heart to pieces. It pains me to even think of her condition. Will you have mankind suffer for my grief?"

Zeus pursed his lips and wondered at Demeter's selfish request. Indeed man would suffer at the Harvest Goddess's hands, their crops finding nothing to thrive on, but alas, would she suffer man so for the sake of her only daughter's return? For the sake of a daughter who was, at some point he was certain, meant to please a God? He could see no sin in a God's attraction to a beautiful and desirable woman. Besides had he himself not made man to feel emotions as this and had not man been an extension of the Gods with their emotions and their desires? Was not man made in the Gods' image? But Demeter had always been an obstinate, headstrong Goddess and clearly bore no concern for a God's love, less so if that God were Hades.

"And this is why you yearn for your daughter Demeter?" he quietly stated. "Those are the reasons that you have developed such insecurities over her?"

Demeter's hands were shaking as she drew them off the table and onto her lap, her eyes lowered and emotionless. She remained silent for a moment before finally saying in a low and sturdy voice.

"Yes."

"You wish for your daughter to develop no other attachments besides those that already exist between yourselves. You are indeed afraid of being left alone Demeter…"

She remained silent, her eyes intently focused on her lap, neither confirming or denying Zeus's accusation.

Zeus sighed.

"If you will not release man from his suffering because of this then I suppose I have no other choice in the matter. I will send word to Hades and here what he has to say."

"It is… it is unfair of him to steal my only daughter in such a manner." She murmured. "Wholly unfair…"

"But alas my dearest Demeter," Zeus softly murmured, "Isn't all fair in love and war?"

**xxxXXXxxx**

Persephone flushed a startling shade of crimson when she found the lingering eyes of Hades upon her. She had never been observed with such intimate intensity before and the very thought was unravelling the most basic fabric of her thinking. She swiftly averted her gaze then and self consciously focused her attention on the strange specimen of a flowering bush. She could still feel the heat of his scrutiny as he approached her, the pounding in her chest a clear indication of the power he already wielded on her uncertain soul. She was helpless in his presence, a fact she had noted from the months she had since dwelled in his fortress in the Underworld.

"You avoid me…" he softly murmured as he came to stand behind her.

She could feel his power as it rippled around them, as it cocooned them in a web of mist and dancing smoke. She was not immune to the observation of his morbid grandeur.

"You are wrong…" she returned in kind, her fingers mindlessly twiddling away on their own. "Avoidance is for those who are weak. Your vigour does not deserve such harsh treatment… Lord Hades."

"Oh?"

She helplessly smiled at his obvious loss of words and playfully spun around to view his visage. He was unreadable save the faint smile that dressed his lips.

"Have I rendered you speechless?" she softly asked.

She had, as of late, grown used to addressing him with such impishness for it was something she realised that seemed to deepen his pleasure for her.

"Perhaps, but I will not say that you have made me quite so speechless. Did I not return your quip with a faint, _oh_?"

She laughed and sweetly plucked a flower from the bush she had been observing.

"Your gardens..." she said then, "They are strange but yet appealing."

"You like them?"

Persephone nodded. "There is an enigmatic beauty that adorns them…something almost haunting." She quietly said as he eyes fell upon the blossom held between her digits. "I have never witnessed gardens as these on earth before, for these are like nothing I have ever beheld." Her fingers had wasted no time and were gently stroking the velvety softness of a silvery petal, her nose tingling from the sweet, midnight scent that cloaked its brilliance.

Hades watched her for a moment, mesmerised again by her charming, naïve beauty. He watched the satin softness of her hair, the gentle rise of her bosom, the generous curve of her hips beneath her silken garments and he confirmed what he had confirmed every time he laid eyes on her; she was desirable, enchanting and eloquent…

"They do not have the honour of basking in Apollo's light," he murmured "Hence their ability to produce their own luminosity."

"They are beautiful things." She whispered as her eyes appreciatively roved over the remaining flowers that boldly or otherwise shyly poked through the almost blue black foliage of the gardens. "And you know what makes it even more charming? She quietly asked.

Hades told her he did not.

"That you've even given me allowance to stroll through them without your presence or servant's escort. You deserve more thanks than I can offer."

"You find joy in such a simple routine?"

"Naturally for you did not deny me permission to leave my chambers. I may still be a caged bird but alas I am a caged bird that can spread my wings to a degree. Thank you for that."

Hades frowned at her speech unsure of how to interpret it.

"You are my bride…" he softly murmured as he moved closer to her frame. "Why would I deny you something so obvious as freedom to roam this place? You are to be its Queen."

Persephone had turned her back towards him while she observed his garden and now that she felt his breath upon her neck she was finding it difficult to suppress the low purr of pleasure that threatened to escape her lips. The very first time his mouth had subdued her own had also been the last since her stay had begun. He had not touched her since then.

She forced herself to think straight and gulping down her nervousness she quickly moved away from him. Her closest bet at retaining her sanity was by throwing an attack and this she did with some apprehension. "You-you say you grant me freedom, but yet you do not allow me actual passage away from here…"

"Because you've never actually requested it." he quietly said.

She froze at his words with the dawning realisation that she had never actually aired this appeal verbally.

"But will you let me?" she slowly asked.

"No."

She was shocked by his brusqueness and lugubriously lowered her eyes.

"Why?" she softly questioned as she moved on to absently examine another curious flower.

"Because you will eventually be my wife."

"But that is no great justification."

"Then are wives supposed to leave their husbands? Is that a prevalent practice? Pray, enlighten me."

Persephone frowned at the unexpected bitterness in his voice.

"But I worry about my mother…"

"And you do not worry for me?"

She remained silent at this question, unsure of how to respond. There was something, she knew, deep within her heart that would trouble her greatly if she did indeed leave him. He had never been unpleasant to her and he had never treated her wrongly. If anything her interactions with him had only awoken her curiosity, increased her interest. There was always some invisible force pulling her ever closer towards him and the danger of her awareness becoming more heightened by his presence was no joking matter. Her cheeks turned a patch pinker at the daring thought.

"I-I don't know…" she uncertainly mumbled.

She felt her body suddenly stiffen when his hand unexpectedly touched her shoulder and she spun around in alarm to face him squarely in the face. He was too close for comfort.

"So you do not fully deny it."

"I…. it's hard to say…" she breathlessly whispered.

Her voice hitched in her throat and she was finding it difficult to coherently communicate.

Hades eyed her knowingly.

"Are you perhaps unnerved by my nearness?" he softly enquired. His eyes had fallen onto her chest, the swift rise and fall not having gone unnoticed.

Her eyes widened in alarm at this realisation and she unconsciously crossed her arms over her bosom in embarrassment.

"Of- of course not!" she indignantly stuttered.

Hades wordlessly eyed her expression and said no more.

They continued on in the garden in silence, Persephone behind while Hades trailed ahead. This was really the first time he was accompanying her on a walk for the other times she had simply met him within the walls of his fortress. They had conversed there in the presence of the silent servants that hauntingly roamed the hallways; nothing inappropriate, nothing untoward. Hades had left her as pure as untouched snow save a lone footstep to account for his kiss.

Her eyes continued to digest the strange but hauntingly beautiful flowers in the garden, their curious luminescence ever so appealing. Their colours were a tad bit strange as well, some of them boasting shades she had never so much as seen before. Perhaps they were unique to the underworld, something that specifically fed upon the strangely barren but fertile soil of death. She stopped then when her eyes fell upon a strange fruit and she furrowed her brows in an attempt to decipher exactly which fruit she had espied. It seemed rich and full, ripened to the point of wanting to leave the branches of the bent tree. How a fruit could look so inviting, so luscious was beyond Persephone's comprehension and she hungrily watched the alluring delicacy.

By now Hades had noticed her stall and had turned around just in time to observe, in curious silence, the hesitant movements of the young Goddess as she reached forward to pluck a fruit from its perch. He gracefully drew his cloak from over his head at this observation and stared in momentary wonder as she held the fruit between her delicate fingers.

He slowly moved towards her then, his hair rippling like silken waves of black in his wake.

"A pomegranate?" he slowly mused, more to himself than to anyone else.

She looked up at him in surprise and surveyed the fruit again in wonder.

"I never knew there were fruits here as well. Flowers are one thing… but delicacies such as this?"

Hades narrowed his eyes. "The Underworld is not as barren as many perceive it to be."

Persephone smiled to reassure him that she meant no offence.

"It looks delicious."

He remained silent, unsure of whether she knew of the potential danger, at least on her part of eating of food that had flowered and grown in the Underworld. It did not strike him that she did and he purposefully remained silent on that regard.

"Have you ever tasted a pomegranate?" he quietly asked then.

She looked up at him with bright eyes and shook her head in the negative. "I'm afraid not. What are they like?"

Hades' breath caught in his throat and he wondered if the fates were truly intent on allowing Persephone to become his own. He would not find reason to argue with them if indeed they were.

"It is sweet," he emotionlessly asserted, "And surprisingly so for to me they look unappealing."

"I think is looks quite nice though."

She hungrily eyed the fruit as she said this and innocently glanced up at Hades. Her look beguiled and the God's yearning deepened.

He gestured for her to go ahead and watched with baited breath as she broke the fruit in half. His trickery he knew was uncalled for but at this point he would have done anything to have her remain at his side. His love had done nothing but feed and grow on the source of its power since her arrival and the fact that she did not seem to mind his presence was no help at all.

She plucked a few of the red seeds into her hand and innocently plopped them into her mouth. Her eyes lit up as the taste registered and she smiled at Hades as she nodded her approval.

"It _is _delicious." She smilingly conceded.

Hades closed his eyes to savour this silent victory, unsure of how to count his blessing. He loved her like he had loved no other and if his love meant he would have been reduced to trickery then so be it. She had offered to try it for herself. He had merely encouraged her on. If she had been averse to him however, perhaps that would have been quite a different story. She had never shown any revulsion towards his touches and had welcomed his kiss the very first time he had dared to brand her lips with his own. Perhaps the fact that she had discovered the fruit on her own was a sign from the fates that she was willing to stay on of her own accord.

"Lord Hades."

Both Persephone and Hades presently turned around in surprise to greet one of the cloaked servants that roamed the underworld. They were strange creatures, appearing and disappearing in a whirl of mist as best suited their fancy. The black cloaks that draped their hidden bodies were not as fine as the one Hades wore, but they were similar and relayed their rank and status just as well. They spoke little besides their usual formalities and merely bowed to their master when presented before him. Today however, Hades seemed perplexed by their emergence.

The God's milky white eyes flashed anger at the creature's dismal appearance, perhaps reading an unexpected omen. Hades knew best what these messengers sort to relay, for everything that occurred in the underworld was not hidden from his eyes.

"What is it?" he quietly demanded. He seemed to sense something that Persephone could not and his eyes narrowed as the creature spoke.

"A messenger from Olympus my Lord." It subserviently rattled.

"Olympus…?" he lowly repeated. "What can they have to say now?"

Persephone was no doubt astonished by this development, a faint ray of disappointment crawling its way through her body at the intervention. She knew what a messenger from Olympus signified and although she had mentioned to Hades that she was worried about her mother, the truth was that she had been strangely excited to be away from the Goddess's watchful eyes.

She watched then as the strange being bowed, its almost shadowy appearance macabre as it fell before its master.

Hades wordlessly nodded and gestured for the messenger to come forth.

They both watched as Hermes stepped out, a twinkle in his eyes as he perceived the fruit still half eaten by the young Goddess. He nodded to her before addressing Hades.

"Perhaps the fates _are_ on your side Hades." He said by way of greeting. "But Demeter will not like this development."

Hades glanced at his bride who seemed confused and returned his attention to the messenger God.

"Oh?" He watched the god carefully. "So you do know of the fruits' power…"

Hermes charmingly smiled. "How could one such as myself not know Hades. Surely you jest."

The God of the Underworld eyed the Spring goddess then, and finding it difficult to retain his silence, finally spoke. "But alas…" he quietly said "My Persephone does not."

Persephone whirled around in surprise to face Hades at this revelation.

"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion.

"If he's come to take you back then he cannot simply wrench you away from me. Since you've eaten the fruit of this world, you are still bound to me."

Persephone blinked in surprise and blankly eyed the unfinished fruit in her hand. If anger was what she was supposed to feel, then she was finding it alarming that she did not. He had not tricked her, at least not in a complete sense. Further it would explain why Hades had looked at her with such confusion; why he had stared at her in such a peculiar manner. He had known and of course he would. He had been obviously stunned when she had asked, of her own accord to taste of the fruit that would seal her fate forever.

The messenger God saw her confusion and chortled at the arrogance at with which Hades had announced the fruit's true nature.

"True, she may have eaten the fruit but alas, she has not eaten the entire thing. There is still a loop hole."

Hades voice darkened. "And this implies…?"

"Demeter yearns for her daughter and you yearn for your bride. Two parties are sworn that they will have the prize. But since Persephone has merely eaten a half of your fruit, does this not mean that she can leave the underworld for at least half of the year? Think of the people's suffering Hades, I know you are not so unfeeling, I know you are not an uncaring God. Demeter in her grief has caused man to suffer greatly. The soils are barren and the fields desolate. There can be no harvest and there has been none for the past three months. It is almost as though a cold, frigid draught has consumed the earth and made her worthless. Surely you will not allow man to suffer such indignation."

"Man is bound to find his place here eventually so of what consequence is an earlier arrival?"

"Hades, you are not making this any easier."

"Demeter is a foolish woman for taking this so far."

Hermes scowled at the God's words. "If you insist on continuing on in this manner you will leave me no choice. I _will _take Persephone by for-"

It was at this point that the spring Goddess intervened.

"Wait!" she cried.

She blushed when she realised that both the Gods' attention was fully focused upon her and her voice fell as she twisted her hands together in embarrassment.

"I- neither of you have asked me what I wish to do… but I will speak, if that is no trouble…"

Hades and Hermes intently watched her as she said this, Hades surprised, Hermes…amused.

"I must admit that this is a forlorn place," she aplogetically glanced at Hades as she said this, "but I still see something here that captures my attention greatly. Besides… Hades has never treated me ill and has been a kind companion during my sojourn. Indeed he may have purposefully refrained from informing me about the interesting properties of his fruits," her voice fell here and she continued, "But alas, I was the one who sought permission to taste it; I ventured to seal my fate without knowing but, I… I think that one cannot go against the desires of the fates quite so easily… Not even a God."

Hades was momentarily thrown off by her little speech.

"But the thought of both the earth and my mother's suffering is not a pleasant thing..." She had opened her palm at this point and allowed a sweet smelling jasmine to spring forth from her bounty. She smiled at the flower and shyly allowed her eyes to meet Hades.

"It is I am afraid as Hermes says. I must go, I must return to my mother. I cannot leave the earth untended, I cannot have this being called Winter ravishing her so boldly…"

"So you will leave then…"

Her eyes trailed the strange, velvety carpet of grass beneath her feet and she sadly closed them.

"Yes…"

Hades watched her in her sorrow and recalled the very first time he had brought her to his world. He watched the gentle slope of her cheeks and the sullen blossom of her lips and for the first time he felt… melancholy… he felt disappointment and worst of all he felt anger.

His eyes slowly narrowed and his fists tightly clenched at his sides but there was nothing he could do to stop her departure. If this was what she wanted, if this was what she truly desired then not even he could deny it. It was strange how love worked, it was abhorring how it twisted and clutched and yet forgave and allowed…

He would rather have her absent from his life than have her gone and hating him as well.

He deeply inhaled.

"Then so be it." He quietly said. "If you wish to return… then I am powerless to stop you…."

"You're seeing sense Hades." Hermes slyly murmured.

The Dark Lord flashed the messenger a loathing glare before closing his eyes, pursing his lips and slowly exhaling his held breath.

"Olympus awaits you… Persephone."

"My Lord-!"

Before she could further address him however, there was an unannounced rush of wind and the Dark God disappeared in a swirl of black mist.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Alright this is the final Chapter; it was just as i promised, a simple retelling :)**

* * *

When she finally found him standing on the sloping banks of one of the great river's tributaries, she breathlessly bent forward, an attempt to catch her breath from her brief expenditure of energy. She had been used to running with the nymphs, but it seemed exertion in the underworld came on faster than on earth.

Heaving slightly she licked her lips and brushed the autumn coloured hair away from her eyes. The jasmine she had brought forth was still clutched between her fingers, the thought of her _almost_ useless pursuit of the blackened shadows and mists of Hades, pounding in her head. He had been difficult to keep up with and she would have lost him completely save the silent help of one, Charon, as he wordlessly pointed Persephone in the direction of his master.

The Lord of the Underworld was standing, noiselessly facing the almost lifeless river that churned before him. It may have been silent above but beneath Persephone was certain it was not so peaceful.

Frowning slightly, she stared at Hades' back unsure of how to address him now that she was here; before him. She could see the way his shoulders were tensed and the way his fists were still clenched at his sides. The aura of mist and smoke that usually adorned his cloak seemed more intense, more visceral than she had ever imagined before. She could almost feel the sharp sting of his ire, his hurt and his melancholy.

But why would he be angry? Had she not agreed to spend half the year with him? Did the contract not state that she would still be with him? That she would still be his?

His emotions were… confusing.

She had never disliked him… no that was a far cry from how she really felt. He had never repulsed her and he had never inspired anything that warranted any form of disgust. She could not and perhaps never would be able to explain her bizarre attraction to him. The nights she had twisted and turned in her sleep, her head consumed with thoughts of him had been too frequent to count. She had tried, she had fought to find a reason to hate him, to fear him but nothing, nothing had ever surfaced from her futile endeavours.

She _should_ have hated him, she should have despised him but he had done nothing to inspire such feeling save his alluring capture when they had first met on her mother's fields. But then not even that could inspire any loathing. Even then he had charmed her, even then he had called to her and she had gone; curious, mesmerised and breath taken.

He had nurtured her, he had spoken to her and he had shown her everything in their three months together. He had shown her the attention that her heart had yearned for, he had gratified her feminine desire for recognition and despite the rumours that were against him there had been nothing to prove them; nothing in all her time with him to verify a single one.

He was not a sinister and cruel God.

There was something about him that was stately, commanding and arrogant even. Something that appealed, that captivated because to her he was the most intriguing creature that she had ever had the fortune of meeting. Knowing him as she did now it seemed foolish to leave so quickly.

"My Lord…" she softly murmured as she began to approach him from behind.

He stiffened at her call.

"You-you gave me no allowance to bid you farewell…"

His back was still towards her, his anger no less abated than when she had approached him from the beginning.

"Of what use is your farewell…? He bitterly queried. "I see no merit in such a thing."

"We will not see each other for several months…" she softly said, "A farewell in that case is imperative."

"_Because_ you must go?" he quietly questioned.

She could hear the hurt in his voice and if she had not grown so attached to him she would think his enquiry selfish, childish even.

She sighed and returned his answer with an even yes. "My mother suffers does she not? And because of her grief, the earth suffers as well. Did you not agree with the terms Hermes set out?"

"Yes…" he quietly said, "but you are evidently still unaware of the strength of my feelings."

"The strength of…. your feelings?"

"I want you for myself Persephone; I want you as mine and mine alone. Half a year they say, half a year they bargain for but do they not know how lengthy such a period can be? Do they have any idea? Selfish I am indeed to say such a thing, but a God in love has a rite, I think, to bear such an insufferable quality."

Persephone's heart softened at his words and she blushed even as she returned his address with a weakened "I see…" She had never known she could warrant such heartache… such desire.

"But do you really?"

"I… the earth, my mother… she will-"

"I know. Your mother is just as stubborn as I… but even as the earth suffers without you… so too… will the Underworld."

Her eyes widened at this and before she knew it a small smile began to play upon her lips. Realisation finally began to dawn in her heart and she wondered, she wondered how she could have not seen it before. Her heart fluttered in her chest at the thought and she clutched her hand to her bosom as she watched him still desolate, still resentful… from his love.

It was evident that he thought his feelings unrequited, that he thought, and wrongly so, that she felt nothing for him.

He was indeed more naïve than she had anticipated.

"No…" she murmured as she slowly began to move towards him. "No, it is not the Underworld that will suffer I'm afraid."

"Oh?" He cocked an eyebrow. "Then if not my realm, what pray tell?"

"Only you, Lord Hades…"

He slowly turned around to observe her then, his features reticent, his mouth firmly set. "You are cruel to say such a thing because you do know, you are fully aware of how I feel."

"Perhaps I do…" she softly whispered "But do _you,_ my Lord know how I feel… about you?"

He examined her features in momentary confusion.

She carefully closed the space between them then and without much thought for the consequences of her actions extended her arms towards his face and gently cupped his cheeks in her hands. Hades' eyes widened in surprise, his breath hitching in his throat from her gentle touch.

"I…"

"And now you are speechless."

"I…"

"I want to be the Queen of this realm… I want to be the one you keep beside you. I want to be the balance for your world and I want to return to you, willingly after I spread the earth with warmth again."

He shivered as he inhaled the sweet perfume that ensnared him and he trembled when she pressed her fingers against his lips. It was all too much for him to comprehend at once.

"This is not wise…" he thickly murmured as he entwined his larger hand with her own. "Such words as they escape your lips… they seem unreal…"

She smiled in all her glory as she watched his expression and whispered a quiet, "I know… but they are not."

Hades raised his brows and she warmly continued. "I am unsure of what else to do so that I may convince you that I am indeed captivated by you. Believe me when I speak for I will say it again; I am willing to be your Queen and I am willing to be yours, but alas I cannot let the earth suffer… My mother may not like that I spend half the year with her but I am willing to split my time between the two realms."

She looked up to Hades then, a shy smile dressing her lips. "I… I do sincerely wish to know you better, so surely you will accept this arrangement my Lord… Surely you will make this easier, for us both. I want you to welcome me when I return and I want you to hold me when I return…as your Persephone."

Hades looked at her then and he looked at her as though he had never quite seen her before. She began to worry that her words had not been enough.

"Lord Hades, are you-"

"You speak too much and you explain at length." He swiftly intervened. "The last words were all I needed to hear I think."

And being unable to restrain himself any further he firmly gripped her waist and steadied her face as he captured her lips in a passionate arrest.

The goddess almost buckled at her knees from the intensity of his kiss and had she not been holding onto him, had her fingers not found refuge in the silken tresses of his coal black hair she would have surely fainted from the emotions coursing through her veins; happiness, ecstasy and fulfilment.

"My…Lord…" she breathlessly whispered as his lips roamed upon the exposed skin of her neck, as his arms tightened their secure grip around her. "My…Lord…"

"You are a strange woman…" he quietly murmured as he brushed her porcelain white skin…softly….slowly… deliberately…

"How-so?" she all but moaned.

"You are prepared to return. There are not many who would come to me willingly."

She slowly brushed the dark hair from his eyes and blissfully smiled as he continued to trace his lips along her neck. "Then they are all fools…. But alas, I believe in any case that I do not have much say in the matter. I have to return, regardless."

Hades spared her a fleeting and rare grin before gently easing himself away from her arms and holding her chin between his index and thumb.

"You should go…" he whispered as he watched her with yearning eyes. "If you stay any longer I will not be held accountable for what I do. We will meet when you return."

She shook her head and resolutely folded her arms at his words. "No, we will not just meet, Lord Hades, that is incorrect."

He narrowed his eyes, silently begging an explanation for her statement.

She modestly lowered her eyes at his wordless prodding and with a small blush she whispered,

"You see… the next time we meet, we shall do so as husband and wife."

And Hades smiled as he chastely kissed her one last time for her very charming words.

**~End~**

* * *

**Thank you for reading and thanks for the favoutires and reviews! If there were any mistakes, i do apologise.  
**

**Cheers!  
**


End file.
